HAND RAIL MOUNTING BRACKET FOR AN ELECTRICAL PANEL

SUPPORT DE MONTAGE DE MAIN COURANTE POUR PANNEAU ELECTRIQUE

English Abstract

A bracket for mounting an electrical panel to a handrail has a first portion having a U--shaped portion for receiving the handrail, a second portion having an attachment for attaching to the electrical panel, and a pivotal connection connecting the first portion to the second portion.

French Abstract

Un support de montage d'un panneau électrique à une main courante comporte une première partie ayant une portion en U servant à recevoir la main courante, une deuxième partie comportant une fixation servant à la fixation au panneau électrique et une connexion par pivot reliant la première partie à la deuxième partie.

Claims

6
What is Claimed is:
1. In combination:
an upper handrail bracket comprising:
a first portion having a U-shaped portion for receiving a handrail;
a second portion having an attachment for attaching to an electrical panel;
and
a pivotal connection connecting the first portion to the second portion; and
a lower handrail bracket comprising a receiving body for receiving a lower
handrail
support, the receiving body having a vertically adjustable attachment for
attaching to the
electrical panel;
the receiving body of the lower handrail bracket comprising a U-shaped
receiving body defining a downward-oriented opening.
2. In combination:
an electrical panel;
an upper handrail bracket comprising:
a first portion having a U-shaped portion for receiving a handrail;
a second portion attached to the electrical panel; and
a pivotal connection connecting the first portion to the second portion; and
a lower handrail bracket comprising a receiving body for receiving a lower
handrail
support, the receiving body being vertically adjustable relative to the
electrical panel.
3. The combination of claim 2, wherein the receiving body of the lower
handrail bracket
comprises a U-shaped receiving body defining a downward-oriented opening.
4. The combination of claim 2, wherein the lower mounting bracket comprises a
vertically
oriented slot and the lower handrail bracket is slidably attached in the slot
by a pin
connection.
5. The combination of claim 2, wherein the second portion of the upper
handrail bracket is
attached to an upper mounting bracket on the electrical panel.

7
6. A method of mounting an electrical panel to a handrail, the handrail
comprising an upper
handrail and a lower handrail support, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an upper handrail bracket comprising a first portion having a U-
shaped
portion, and a second portion attached to the electrical panel, and a pivotal
connection
connecting the first portion to the second portion;
providing a lower handrail bracket comprising a receiving body, the receiving
body
being movably attached to the electrical panel, the lower handrail bracket
being attached to a
lower mounting bracket on the electrical panel, the lower mounting bracket
comprising a
vertically-oriented slot;
inserting the upper handrail into the U-shaped portion of the upper handrail
bracket
and pivoting the second portion such that the upper handrail bracket overlies
the handrail and
the electrical panel is relatively vertical;
positioning the receiving body of the lower handrail bracket above the lower
handrail
support and moving the lower handrail bracket until the lower handrail support
is received
within the receiving body.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second portion of the upper handrail
bracket is
attached to an upper mounting bracket on the electrical panel.

Description

CA 02737327 2011-04-15
TITLE
[0001] Hand rail mounting bracket for an electrical panel
FIELD
[0002] This relates to a mounting bracket for mounting an electrical panel
on a hand rail.
BACKGROUND
[0003] On worksites, it is necessary to provide electrical power to
various locations.
Electrical panels are used to help distribute the power.
SUMMARY
[0004] There is provided a bracket for mounting an electrical panel to a
handrail. The
bracket comprises a first portion having a U-shaped portion for receiving the
handrail, a
second portion having an attachment for attaching to the electrical panel, and
a pivotal
connection connecting the first portion to the second portion.
[0005] According to another aspect, there is provided, in combination,
the handrail
bracket as described above as an upper handrail bracket, and a lower handrail
bracket
comprising a receiving body for receiving a lower handrail support, the
receiving body having
a vertically adjustable attachment for attaching to the electrical panel.
[0006] According to other aspects, the receiving body of the lower
handrail bracket may
comprise a U-shaped receiving body defining a downward-oriented opening. The
lower
mounting bracket may comprise a vertically oriented slot and the lower
handrail bracket may
be slidably attached in the slot by a pin connection. The second portion of
the upper handrail
bracket may be attached to an upper mounting bracket on the electrical panel.
[0007] According to another aspect, there is provided, in combination, an
electrical panel
having an upper mounting bracket and a lower mounting bracket, an upper
handrail bracket as
described above attached to the upper mounting bracket of the electrical
panel, and a lower
handrail bracket as described above attached to the lower mounting bracket of
the electrical
panel.

CA 02737327 2011-04-15
2
[0008] According to another aspect, there is provided a method of
mounting an electrical
panel to a handrail, the electrical panel comprising an upper mounting bracket
and a lower
mounting bracket, the lower mounting bracket comprising a vertical slot, the
handrail
comprising an upper handrail and a lower handrail support, the method
comprising the steps
of: providing an upper handrail bracket comprising a first portion having a U-
shaped portion,
a second portion having an attachment, and a pivotal connection connecting the
first portion
to the second portion; providing a lower handrail bracket comprising a
receiving body, the
receiving body having a vertically-adjustable attachment; attaching the second
portion of the
upper handrail bracket to the upper mounting bracket of the electrical panel
via the attachment
and the lower handrail bracket to the lower mounting bracket of the electrical
panel; inserting
the handrail into the U-shaped portion of the upper handrail bracket and
pivoting the second
portion such that the upper handrail bracket overlies the handrail and the
electrical panel is
relatively vertical; and positioning the lower handrail support below the
receiving body of the
lower handrail bracket and moving the lower handrail bracket along the
vertical slot until the
lower handrail support is received within the receiving body.
[0009] According to other aspects, the lower handrail bracket may be
attached to a lower
mounting bracket on the electrical panel, where the lower mounting bracket
comprises a
vertically-oriented slot. The second portion of the upper handrail bracket may
be attached to
an upper mounting bracket on the electrical panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] These and other features will become more apparent from the
following
description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings
are for the
purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting,
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an upper handrail bracket.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the upper handrail bracket.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the upper handrail bracket in an extended
position.
FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of a lower handrail bracket.
FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the lower handrail bracket.

CA 02737327 2011-04-15
3
FIG. 6 is a side elevation view in section of the lower handrail bracket on a
lower
mounting bracket.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the upper and lower handrail brackets attached
to
an electrical panel.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the electrical panel installed on a handrail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] A bracket system for mounting an electrical panel onto a handrail
will now be
described with reference to FIG. 1 through 8.
[0012] Referring to FIG. 7, an electrical panel 12 has an upper mounting
bracket 14 and
a lower mounting bracket 16. Referring to FIG. 8, there is an upper handrail
bracket 18
attached to upper mounting bracket 14 and a lower handrail bracket 20 attached
to lower
mounting bracket 16. Upper and lower mounting brackets 14 and 16 may be
already attached
to electrical panel 12, or they may be attached at the time of installation.
Furthermore, upper
handrail bracket 18 may be permanently attached to, or integrally formed with,
upper
mounting bracket 14. Lower handrail bracket 20 may be permanently attached to
lower
mounting bracket 16 by a vertically adjustable connection 34, as some movement
is required
by lower handrail bracket 20 relative to electrical panel 12 during
installation to properly
position lower handrail bracket 20. Referring to FIG. 6, in a preferred
embodiment,
connection 34 is a sliding connection formed by providing lower mounting
bracket 16 with a
vertical slot 17 that allows a pin connection 19 secured to lower handrail
bracket 20 to move
vertically relative to electrical panel 12. Other sliding connections 34 will
be apparent to those
skilled in the art. This allows the installer to lift lower handrail bracket
20, position electrical
panel 12, and let bracket 20 fall into place.
[0013] Referring to FIG. 1, upper handrail bracket 18 has a first
portion 22 having a U-
shaped cross-section 24 and a second portion 26 having an attachment 28 for
attaching to
upper mounting bracket 14 of electrical panel 12 (as shown in FIG. 7). As
shown, attachment
28 is a series of apertures. First portion 22 is connected to second portion
26 by a pivotal
connection 30 that allows first and second portions 22 and 26 to pivot between
an angled

CA 02737327 2011-04-15
4
position shown in FIG. 2 and a relatively flat position shown in FIG. 3. The
position shown
in FIG. 3 is intended to simplify and permit installation on a handrail, while
the position
shown in FIG. 2 is the installed position that helps secure upper handrail
bracket 18, and
therefore electrical panel 12, on a handrail.
[0014] Referring to FIG. 4 and 5, lower handrail bracket 20 preferably
has a U-shaped,
receiving body 32 with an attachment 34 for attaching to lower mounting
bracket 16 of
electrical panel 12 (as shown in FIG. 7. As shown, attachment 34 includes a
pin connection
19 that engages slot 17, such that the vertical position of lower handrail
bracket 20 may be
adjusted.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 8, upper and lower handrail brackets 18 and 20
are used to
install electrical panel 12 on a handrail, which has an upper handrail 36 and
a lower handrail
support 38. Upper handrail 36 is shown as an angle iron, and lower handrail
support 38 is
shown as a flat bar, and the discussion below will be given in that context.
However, it will
be understood that the attachment portions of upper handrail bracket 18 and
lower handrail
bracket 20 may be designed to accommodate different sizes and shapes. For
example, upper
handrail 36 may be a square tubing, which requires upper handrail bracket 18
to have a wider
U-shaped cross-section 24. It will be understood that, in order to properly
mount upper
handrail bracket 18 in this manner, upper handrail 36 must have a cross-
section with upper
and lower opposed, parallel faces, that allows first portion 22 to engage and
hold handrail 36.
The same restriction is not placed on lower handrail bracket 20.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 7, upper handrail bracket 18 is attached to
upper mounting
bracket 14 by using pin connections through attachment 28. Lower handrail
bracket 20 may
be loosely attached to lower mounting bracket 16 by a pin connection through
attachment 34
and slot 17. Upper handrail bracket 18 is extended to a substantially
horizontal position, such
that electrical panel 12 is also substantially horizontal, which allows U-
shaped portion to
engage upper handrail 36. As can be seen, first portion 22 is substantially
the same length as
the width of upper handrail 36. Referring to FIG. 8, as second portion 26 of
upper handrail
bracket 18 is pivoted about pivotal connection 30 to lower electrical panel 12
into the vertical

CA 02737327 2013-07-04
position, upper handrail 36 is secured within U-shaped portion 24 by second
portion 26.
Once upper handrail bracket 18 is installed, lower handrail bracket 20 is
installed by lifting it
along slot 17 above lower handrail support 38, and lowering it such that lower
handrail
support 38 enters receiving body 32. The pin connection through attachment 34
and slot 17
5 can then be tightened to secure lower handrail bracket 20 in place, which
also prevents any
movement about pivotal connection 30, which is necessary to dislodge
electrical panel 12
from the handrail.
[0017] It will be apparent that other types of lower handrail brackets 20
may be used,
such as a clamp that is positioned vertically first, then clamped onto lower
handrail support
38, such as a structure similar to a scaffolding clamp.
[0018] In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-
limiting sense to
mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically
mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not
exclude the
possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context
clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elements.
[0019] The scope of the following claims should not be limited by the
preferred
embodiments set forth in the examples above and in the drawings, but should be
given the
broadest inteipretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Representative Drawing